Chapter 142
Chapter 142
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 142
Chapter Title: Labyrinth of Spacetime (6)
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“Alright, let's get out of here! Any objections? Hey, open this iron door!”
The leader pounded on the iron door. His pride was shattered, and he could no longer bear the cold stares of his comrades.
“Does everyone agree?”
The man asked, but no translation was needed. The mercenaries nodded without a word and headed for the door.
They felt utterly wretched. Coming here had been a terrible mistake. They had tried to make a quick buck, only to ruin their camaraderie and waste their money.
“Hey, kids. Let’s get out of here. This way.”
The mercenaries’ attitude had changed. Though their sense of loss was immense, they knew it was best to be cautious, seeing as the kids were clearly no ordinary fighters.
However, Shirone’s group didn't even take a step, simply watching the mercenaries.
The mage grew vaguely uneasy. As if to prove that his ominous premonitions were never wrong, Amy spoke coolly.
“We don't feel like leaving yet.”
The mercenaries’ heads all snapped back at once. A mix of emotions—anger, bewilderment, fear—crossed their eyes.
The mage, the quickest thinker among them, swallowed his anger and spoke in a placating tone.
“Why not? It’s already over, isn’t it? We’re too tired to keep going.”
“That’s your problem. Once you enter this place, the group is one. Didn't you know? It’s a problem if you try to leave on your own without even asking for our opinion.”
The mage was furious, but for now, he had no choice but to humor Amy.
“Alright. I didn’t think that far ahead. So, let’s go.”
“Sorry, but we can’t do that. We need to pass through this place to get to Kergo.”
“But there’s no way to get through! Ah…!”
The woman’s face turned pale. There was a way.
This was the Room of Achievement and Sacrifice. It wasn't necessary to prove only achievement.
The man with the white tattoos spoke in a low voice.
“Will you leave or will you stay? If you wish to prove your skill, pass through the Labyrinth of Spacetime. If you wish to prove sacrifice, four sacrifices can send four people through.”
“Huh? What’s he saying?”
As soon as Rian asked, the archer translated. Of course, it was a completely distorted and altered version.
“Ah, he’s just saying we should hurry up and leave if we’re done.”
Amy smiled.
“Oh, that’s strange. I could have sworn I heard this: ‘Four sacrifices can send four people through.’”
Shock filled the archer’s eyes.
“You… you knew the native language all along?”
“What are you talking about? That's what we heard when we first came in. Do you think we're idiots? That we can't even remember something we heard once?”
The archer stood with his mouth agape. *Ah, is that it? No, wait. Isn't it stranger to remember words you've never heard before?*
“Anyway, four sacrifices. One, two, three, four. That’s exactly four people.”
The color drained from the mercenaries’ faces. That girl was seriously considering sacrificing someone.
Rian and Tess felt a tension as real as actual combat. Tess, in particular, fidgeted nervously as the cute Amy turned terrifying.
“Shirone, is this really okay? Eek, Amy is so scary.”
“It’s fine. She’s doing it on purpose.”
“On purpose? It doesn’t look like it.”
“Just watch. Amy will handle it.”
The mercenaries looked at each other. If they fought, they would surely lose. Rian and the warrior were evenly matched, and Tess was stronger than their leader.
Furthermore, they had been overwhelmed in the magic battle, and the archer was useless against Shirone’s Photon Magic.
“Come on, try me. You don’t look like you want to be sacrifices. In any case, you should do your best.”
“Why are you doing this? Is it because of what we did at the tavern?”
Amy tilted her head tauntingly.
“Hmm?”
The archer realized a half-hearted response wouldn't resolve the situation. He walked over to Shirone’s group and bowed respectfully.
“We’re sorry! We underestimated you and made a mistake. Please, forgive us just this once. Hey, you guys get over here and apologize too.”
When the archer looked back, still bowing, the other three reluctantly came over. But since their lives were on the line, their apologies were at least sincere.
“I’m sorry! I was too arrogant. Please forgive me.”
“It won’t happen again. I’ve learned my lesson from this. So, could you please just forget what happened at the tavern?”
Amy frowned.
“Hmm, I just don’t get it. What mistake did you make against us? Wait, a tavern? You don’t mean you were at that tavern, do you? That’s weird. Why didn’t I see you?”
The mercenaries’ faces flushed red. They felt as if their pride had not just been shattered, but thrown to the ground and stomped on.
This time, even Shirone couldn’t help but shudder at Amy’s relentlessness.
*This is what happens when you piss off Amy.*
Back at the tavern, Amy and Tess had been the primary targets of the ridicule.
The insults and humiliation they had endured simply for being women. Amy was not one to forget, not even after decades, until she had her revenge.
But in a way, it was a textbook example of a mage's obsession with efficiency.
Even when it wasn’t strictly necessary, mages were the type to get annoyed by the fact that they hadn't utilized an advantage to its full 100 percent.
This was why people often called mages eccentric. And indeed, many mages lacked a certain human touch.
But it was this relentless pursuit of efficiency that had allowed magic to develop thus far, and would allow it to continue developing in the future.
*What do they want us to do? Dammit.*
The mercenaries didn’t know what to do and just kept their heads bowed. It was as if he could hear them grinding their teeth from here.
Only then did Amy get to the point.
“I have a proposal. If you accept it, we might leave with you.”
“What is…?”
“You said we needed a password to get in here, right? What is it?”
The archer understood. These kids intended to challenge it again. After extensive research and verifying a high probability of success, they planned to return.
“Kertia, lo hoima. Akrasia, widmia venzen. That’s the password.”
“What does it mean?”
“Knock on my door, and it shall be opened.”
Amy looked back at the man with the white tattoos. Then, she recited the ancient words the archer had told her, pronouncing them perfectly.
“Kertia, lo hoima. Akrasia, widmia venzen?”
The natives guarding the exit, understanding Amy’s intent, nodded.
The archer’s mood soured. Or perhaps, in a way, he was impressed. Her meticulousness was astounding.
“Dammit! Have a little faith! You think I’d lie in a situation like this?”
“Who said you did? There’s no harm in being thorough. Anyway, I get it now. Thanks.”
Amy approached her friends with a cheerful face, as if nothing had happened. Tess shook her head, amazed at how Amy’s emotional colors changed like a chameleon.
“You were just trying to get the password? I was so nervous, I thought we were really going to fight.”
“Hehe, if we’re coming back anyway, it’s good to know. Let’s head out too.”
Once both Shirone’s group and the mercenaries expressed their intention to leave, the man with the white tattoos pulled a device next to the iron door.
The entrance rumbled violently, revealing the way out.
Just as when they entered, the mercenary group went up the stairs first.
But the atmosphere was completely different from before. Everyone’s head was bowed like a defeated soldier, and no one spoke.
Shirone’s group was equally silent.
They hadn't managed to enter the autonomous zone, but that was a problem they could strategize for later.
For now, their minds were preoccupied with the Labyrinth of Spacetime they had just experienced.
*The Labyrinth of Spacetime. Why did Miro create this device? And why did he set such cruel rules? What’s in Kergo? What’s the connection between Kergo and Miro in the first place? I want to know. Maybe Miro…*
While Shirone analyzed Miro, Amy, following behind, was lost in her own thoughts.
*There's more than one way to investigate ruins. Let's come up with every possible strategy. Shirone seems to have his own ideas, but we can't rule out using the Spirit Zone to explore underground. Even if we pass, there's the translation issue. When we get out, I need to find someone who can translate. I should be able to find a local.*
Tess was also deeply impressed by this place. In particular, being able to quantify her physical power was a significant achievement.
*So the impact of a rapier can be stronger than a blunt weapon. But in the end, it couldn't match magic. Can a swordsman pass through that door? If so, to what extent? Shirone's magic was close to 5,000, which is roughly ten times my strike. If the passing standard is about double, would Dad be able to do it? Ugh, if I just knew the cutoff, I could set a goal. Shirone said we're coming back, so I'll have to investigate more then.*
Rian, bringing up the rear, was also silent. His brow was furrowed as if in deep thought.
*What should we eat when we get out?*
After walking for about thirty minutes, Shirone’s group arrived at the altar on the surface.
When they knocked from inside, a native opened the door, but the conditioning from underground made the group tense up instinctively.
Fresh air washed over their lungs as they stepped outside. Though it had only been a few hours, the sun in the sky felt like it belonged to a different day.
Shirone’s group and the mercenaries split off in opposite directions. But they didn't disappear from sight. Shirone’s group wanted to savor the afterglow, while the mercenaries were on the verge of collapse.
Shirone summed up the day’s events.
“What now? We achieved more than expected. Should we call it a day for ruin exploration?”
Amy wholeheartedly agreed.
“Let’s. I’m tired after using my strength for the first time in a while. We should head back early and come up with a plan.”
Rian spoke as if he’d made a grand discovery.
“Before that, how about a bowl of noodles? That place from before was pretty good.”
Tess’s glare pierced Rian.
“Are you going to eat noodles again? You should at least suggest something like buckwheat noodles. This is why they say you’re simple.”
“What did you say? It took a lot of careful consideration for me to reach this decision!”
“And what’s the point? You just went in a circle and ended up back where you started.”
While Rian and Tess were arguing over the menu, the mercenaries approached. Shirone’s group stopped talking and turned to look at them.
The warrior, mage, and archer were there, but the leader was nowhere to be seen.
The mercenaries hesitated, exchanging glances. In the end, the mage was deemed the most suitable and was pushed forward.
But she too felt awkward in this situation, and it took a while for the words to come out.
“Um… would you guys maybe want to join our mercenary group?”
“Your mercenary group?”
“Yeah. Being a mercenary has its good points, you know. You can earn a lot of money, not to mention honor. And with your skills, you’d become stars in no time. As you can see, our leader just quit… Ah, of course, you can be the new leader. We’ll follow your orders unconditionally, and if your friends join, we’ll treat them really well too. What do you think?”
Shirone stared intently into the mage’s pleading eyes. Then, as if he hadn’t even needed to think, he replied instantly.
“No.”
With that, he turned and walked away, his friends following without a second thought.
“I told you we should just get noodles. You have to admit they were good, right?”
“No. You just want to fill your stomach with whatever’s available. If we wait a little, we can get something much better.”
The mercenaries stared blankly at the departing group.
The mage’s face fell, and a weary sigh escaped her lips.
“Ugh, my wretched life.”
(End of Volume 6)